The Line Between
by tortured-insanity
Summary: The line between Love and Obsession is thin.Rated T just to be safe. Young Naruto.


Just a crazy little story I wrote at 2am something.

Anyway, enjoy The Line Between!

(comments welcome)

I is owning !Nothing!

* * *

There he is again. 

Crouched down by the water's edge, his little hands skimming over the dark green- almost black - water.

There's a bright smile on his cute face as he tries to catch the tadpoles. He's beautiful when he smiles.

I shake my head of those thoughts. Disgusted that such a thing would cross my mind, but I can't help it.

He has taken up all my thoughts, hogging my mind of it's concentration. He's just a little boy, younger then my six-year-old brother, so pure and innocent-- but still-- he invades my dreams and just by looking at him robs me of any morals. Even just his name can sends thoughts-- _feelings_ through every inch of me, feelings no man should feel for another man- no, _boy_. He is just a boy. And disturbingly, that only seems to arouse me more. What a monster I have become, lusting for a child so sweet and beautiful he could be nothing less then an angel. A deep sigh escapes my chest as I watch him from the window, a spot of mud splashed up onto his marked cheeks, though he continued to play. My eyes where so trained on his actions I barely noticed the shadow that fell over him, but he did. He stopped playing in the water and looked behind him, finding himself staring up into the cold eyes of my father. My family had returned from their trip to the market early, only to be met with the Kyuubi-Child playing in our family's pond again. My mother shifted her bags to one arm and picked up my little brother, standing behind my father as if the little boy would spring and attack at any moment. "What are you doing here?" My father ground out through clenched teeth.

"I-I-I was just. . .just . . . Playing . . ." even when frightened he was so delectable.

"Go."

Naruto needed no further persuasion. He quickly jumped to his feet and dashed off down the road, never looking back. I couldn't see them from my place at the window but I knew there had been tears in his eyes.

Damn him, damn him for making _my_ Naruto cry. Naruto and I are so much alike. We're so different from the world around us, constantly feeling out of place. They-- the world-- fear us. Him for what he was-- or rather what is sealed within him, me, they fear me for what they know I will become. They smile at me, try to pretend they don't see the evil that has grown within my heart. My father above all have seen past the thin layer of my skin, has seen deep into the depths of my darkened soul. Even if he won't say it, I know.

The front door slides open as the family enters our home, my younger brother still held by Mother.

"Filthy little rat. . ." Father murmurs, he's still upset over Naruto being here. He gets so angry just from seeing the boy, one would think by now he'd at the very least be use to it. Naruto loves our pond, even in the winter when it has frozen over and he can do nothing but sit next to it, he'll still come to the frozen water's edge if only to look. I've been watching him for nearly a year now, always there at the pond. I rarely see him else where, once he leaves the pond it's almost as if he disappears. Which leads to me sitting here at this window watching, waiting for him to come back. I've never spoken to him, never seen him up close, all I have done, all I can do, is sit and watch him. I'll crack the window sometimes to let the sound of his laughter fill my ears, but that's all I've ever done. . . . All I can ever do.

Suddenly something else fills my ears, but it's not the sweet laughter of my obsession, but rather the harsh callings of my father shouting my name and pulling me from my thoughts. "Yes, Father?"

"Help your mother get Sasuke ready for bed."

Without any word to him I regretfully turned away from my window and went to start the bath water for my younger sibling.

* * *

I could still hear his screaming as I walked away from my home, the blood of my family-my clan- staining my hands. Dear little Sasuke was left to sob and scream in the dirt filled street alone as I passed the entrance of Uchiha district. I dashed through the streets of Konaha silently, needing to get out before ANBU found me. The blood of my clan had turned cold and sticky, drying on my hands, but -- for having just massacred 200 people--. . . I felt oddly numb. I was almost out of the city now, just a little more and I'd be free. Suddenly something bright yellow flashed before my eyes, I had thought for a moment ANBU had caught up with me until I felt that familiar pang in my chest and in my pants. _Naruto_.

He had flung himself out of the bushes and landed rather hard on the stone pathway, tears soaking his bright, wide eyes. Quickly following him, a Genin boy jumped after him, his fist raised ready to strike to the beautiful blond with a sickening smile across his face. I intercepted just before the blow hit, taking hold of the Genin's hand gripping it so tight he screamed as the bones snapped. My second hand flew up and successfully implanted a kunai within his throat, spraying more blood onto my already bloodied body.

This is what obsession does to a man.

I don't move, I just stand with a dead boy's body in my hands, feeling the warm blood spill out over the hands that so much enjoyed taking his life. Then I hear a voice, the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, am sure I ever will.

"Y-you. . . Saved me. . ."

I turn around and stare into the wide eyes of the one I have desired for so long, the words I have wished to say to him have frozen in my throat leaving me speechless. "Thank you!" His smile so bright the sun would be envious, "Gowabara-teme was a mean boy," he tells me, "he was always chasing me and hitting me. Thank you for making him go away!" A sick smile spreads on my lips; most children would have cried, screamed and/or been terrified at the sight of another child murdered in front of them. But not my Naruto, he's too perfect.

"What's your name mister?" He asks.

"Uchiha, Uchiha Itachi."

Suddenly his smile falls away at the sound of my name. "Uchiha? Like Uchiha Sasuke?"

Slowly I nod, I wasn't aware he knew my brother.

"I hate Uchihas!" He pouts and I notice the tears that well in his eyes. "Uchihas are meanies! They are _so_ mean to me, always yelling at me and telling me to go away. Always they glare at me and make me leave the pond! And Sasuke! Sasuke is the meanest!"

"What has Sasuke done to you?" I can not help this curiosity.

"Sas-Sasuke says he'll be my friend, then he makes fun of me." He sobs. "Sasuke says he likes me and that he wants to be best friends forever, then he throws things at me." By now he has broken down into heavy sobs and hiccups as tears spill over his rosy cheeks. "Sasuke says he loves me and gives me kisses, then he says he hates me and hits me! Sasuke is the meanest! Sasuke is a hippo!" AN: He says 'hippo' but means 'hypocrite' I don't know weather to smile or be angry. It would seem I am not the only Uchiha who is so taken by this fox-boy, but he has treated my Naruto so badly.

"Don't worry," I tell him as I wipe away his tears. "I don't want to hurt you, I'm not mean like Sasuke."

"Y-your not?"

"No."

He smiles again, his tears gone in an instant. He springs up and wraps his arms around my waist saying, "Itachi-nii-san will be my friend? And he will be a good friend, not like Sasuke?"

I want to say yes but I can't. Most reluctantly I take his arms off of me and kneel down to his height.

"No, I can't. I have to leave Konaha." He looks like he might cry again.

"B-but Itachi-nii-san will come back, right?" I don't want to answer, I don't want to tell him what I've done and risk him never looking at me with those eyes again.

"I don't think I can." I tell him quietly, "I've done some bad things and I can't ever come back."

He's silent for a moment, as if thinking, then asks, "But, if you could come back you would? For Naruto?"

"Yes," I nod, "I would come back for Naruto." there's that beautiful smile again.

"Then, I will make it so you can come back." he proclaims. "I will become the leader of the village and make it so Itachi-nii-san can come back, then we can be best friends. Forever."

I can't help but smile, the first real smile with _real_ happiness , I have in a long time.

Without thought, I lean down and suddenly find my lips on his. It was short, only giving me the smallest taste of his sweet mouth, but it's enough. . . For now at least.

He pulls away from me, I think for a moment he'll be angry and start to cry, but instead he says, "You have to go. The ninja are coming." And he's right, I can sense them catching up. I take one last look at my obsession before he runs off and disappears into the bushes.

I'll be back . . . Someday I'll return for you. . .

My sweet Obsession.

-- END --

* * *

I would just like to say, Naruto is pretty young in this so he really forgets about Itachi and finds new reasons to become Hokage. 


End file.
